The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-10-20
A SURGEONS LIFE.

| have always maintained that it i
impossible for any man to be greu
surgeon if he is destitute. even IN
considerable degree, of the fine
feelings Of our nature. l have otter
lain awake for bours tho night be
fore an important operation, aud
suffered great mental ds,ress foI
days after it was over, until wat
certain that my patient was out o
danger. do not think that it i,
possible for II crimin Il to feel much
W rse the night before lis oxecu. ion
than surgeon " hen he knows that
upOn his skIll aud attention must
| depend the fato IT valuable citizen,
husband, father, mother on child.
Snrgery under such circumstances Is
a terlihle taSkmaster, feeding Ike II
7ultule upon mans vllals. II g.
surprising lhi' any surgeon IN lag,
practice should rver attain r,spec-
table old age, 80 great are the wear
aud tear Of mind aud body.
The world has seer many sad
picture. ] will draw ono of the SUR
seon. 1t il midday the sun is
bright aud beautiful all nature il
iedoleut Of joy men aud women
crowd the streets, arraycd in their
best, aud all, apparently, is peace
and happiness within aud without.
In large house, almost overhang,
ing this street so full of lifo and
gayety, lies upon couch au ema
GATED figure; once one of the sweot-
est aud loveliest of her sex Il con-
filling and affectonatel lwfo aud tn,
adorod mother Of num4 rous children
tho subject ofn frighQiu disease o
one of her limbs, or, r nay b. o,
hor jaw, if not sill bore impor,
tant part of her bod-l In, ,an ad
joining room ialyiS C.ressg3, will
stiuments for the npG6dlug'TPrW
tiou. Ha assigns TO e@ch bus rppro
pirate place, One ad8niuistors chlo
roform another takes charge of th,
limb oLo screws DOWN the tourui,
quet upon the pIincp@l artery, auC
another holds himself in readiness {,
follow the knife with lis sponge. Tho
lups are soon forma III the bono sey
cred, the vessels tied, land the hug,
wound approximaicd The woman
lis pale aud ghastly, ~ @ pulse hardly
/ pelcepllblc. be skin wet with cam
my perspiration, the voice husky, th,
sight iudslinct. Some ono whis
pers iuto tue ear Of tho busy sur
geon 'Ihe patient, fear Is dying.
R,stotatives are administered. Tia,
pulse gradually rises, and after few
hous of bard work and terubl,
anxiety reaction Uc,lrs The poor
woman Was only faint from tho join
|iuluence of the ap,g'thetic, shock,
and loss Of blood. An assistant, Il
kind Of sentinel, is p!aced as IL gunro
over her, with instructions to watch
her with the closest care, and t.
send word the moment the slightest
change for tho ~orsois seen.
The su,geon goes &bont his bnsi
ness, visits other patients on th,
way, and at longth, long after the
usual hour, he sits down. worried
aud exhausted, to lis cold aud con
fortress meal, with mouth almost
as dry aud aud II 20 as husky ~
hi, patients. He erIs mechanically
exchanges hardly II word with any
meuber Of his fam and suddenly
relires to his study y prescribe for
his patieuIs--neVer' pnrlng all TIM
time, forgetting th"E Eoor, mu,ilated
> object he left il few ilourS ago II
is able TO lie down get II moment
repose after the eol lle toll Of the
day, suddenly he rs II loud ring
of the bell, and leFont, breathless
q with excitement, Bgs his immediate
presenca at the 6ck chamber with
the exclamation, Ihey think Mrs
b is dying He huties to the scene
d with rapid pace al anxious feeling.
b The stump is of !imson color, and
the patient lies ilil profound swoon
An artery has su,'enly given way,
i the exhaustion iseextreme; cordials
and stimulants a. at once brought